When in Gotham
by Wrighter92
Summary: The team finds Batman training Robin at the cave but are shocked at his methods. Another 'team learns more about Robin' fic.


**Just a warning, this is my first fanfiction, so I don't really know if I've got the characters spot on, but I think it did a pretty good job. I've been on this site for a while just reading fanfiction before I got up the nerve to actually write one, so I hope you like it!**

**Also, I know this isn't terribly original, but for a while I've had the idea of writing about Robin and Batman's training. Even if you've read a dozen fics like this, I hope it's still good!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice**

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><p>A loud thump came from behind the training room doors, followed by the sharp order, "Again."<p>

The thump came again, this time louder and accompanied by a small grunt.

The shame harsh voice rang out, "Again. You were sloppy on the landing."

Then the large doors opened to reveal most of the Young Justice team standing in the doorway. Wally, Artemis, M'gann, Kaldur and Conner stood framed in the steel doorway, taking in the sight of their youngest teammate's training exercise with his mentor.

Batman stood in the center of the room, his back to the team and facing the set of uneven bars that had been set up for the use of the bird now spinning and flipping on them. Robin was in a red and grey exercise outfit, wearing his black and white domino mask. As they watched, they saw Robin let go of the highest of the bars, flip twice, and land neatly on the mat below.

When he stopped moving, it became apparent that the boy was exhausted. Despite the perfect landing, Robin's legs shook with the effort of holding him up and his chest heaved to take in rapid breaths. Sweat dripped from his brow and his raven black hair was plastered to his forehead.

Despite his protégé's obvious exhaustion, Batman once more commanded, "Again."

Slowly, Robin obeyed, dragging himself back to the bars and swinging up to begin the routine again. This time, as the young hero was swinging around one of the bars his hand slipped causing him to loose his grip. For a fraction of a second Robin seemed to hang suspended in midair before he fell and hit the ground with a thump and a poorly suppressed groan.

For a few seconds, Batman allowed Robin to lay on the ground and breath heavily. Then, to the team's shock and horror, Batman again commanded his protégé up, adding, "If you were in the field you'd be dead now. Don't slip.

Robin slowly forced himself to his feet, nodded once at his mentor's advice, and grabbed hold of the the bars again.

While they watched, M'gann set up the mind link, leaving out Robin, so the team could talk with the Dynamic Duo knowing.

_We have to stop him_, she said, her concern evident even in the others minds, _Robin's going to collapse if he keeps going like this_

_I do not want to be the one to tell Batman how to train Robin_, Kaldur began,_ but I do not agree with pushing him so hard._

M'gann asked slowly, as if afraid of the answer, _Do you think he really meant what he said? That Robin would be dead if he slipped up on the field?_

_They work in Gotham, Megan_, Wally said somewhat harshly, _The villains there aren't right. It's...it's..._

_It's not a good place to grow up_, Artemis supplies, _When you're in Gotham,_ _one wrong move you could get killed._

_Is it really that bad? _M'gann asked, her eyes going wide as Robin started the routine again, this time slower than the last. Artemis and Wally both nodded silently, not meeting the martian's eyes. Conner continues to remain silent, but his forehead is creased with confusion. He can't figure out why Batman would be so hard on Robin. Didn't he love him? The two always seemed so close.

Just as Wally and Artemis were getting ready to start forward and stop Batman, the Dark Knight'd rang out again, "Stop. Go take a shower, we'll continue tomorrow."

With that, Batman turned with a swish of his cape. He eyed the young heros for a second before passing them swiftly, not once looking back at Robin. As soon as the hero was out of sight, the team rushed toward their youngest member.

As soon as Batman ordered him to stop, Robin had grabbed a water bottle from a nearby bench and started draining it faster than Wally could finish three double cheese burgers on an empty stomach. Within seconds the bottle was empty and the boy wonder gave up trying to stand. With a thud he landed on his knees before sitting with his back against the bench, his eyes closed behind his domino mask, still breathing heavily.

"Robin! Are you okay? Why did he keep you going for so long?" M'gann asked hurriedly when she reached the bird.

Slowly, Robin's eyes opened and he looked up at his assembled team, all staring down at him with concerned looks. Wearily, he started to stand up. The others tried to help but the teen shook them off with a small wave.

When he finally stands up again, Robin takes a moment to get his breath back before saying, "I'm fine and that's how we survive. I can't mess up in Gotham or I'll get injured or captured or killed," his friends flinched at the blunt, matter-of-fact way he talks about death, but Robin continued in a hard voice while glaring at them, "I've worked through worse than this more times than I can count. It's perfection or death, simple as that. Pushing me is Batman's way of showing he cares. If he can keep me from getting killed, he'll train me for however long it takes for me to get it right. I don't have the luxury of a second chance or a team when we're on patrol. If he has to stop fighting to save me, then the bad guys get away. I can't let that happen."

In a startlingly precise imitation of his mentor, the boy wonder turned from his friends and started walking toward the showers, the only clue of his exhaustion the way his feet dragged on the floor and the slight slump of his shoulders.

When he was gone, the team remained silent for a minute, thinking about what he had said. Finally, Kaldur brook the silence, "Robin is not as immature as he might act. In fact, I think he is oldest of all of us in what he has seen and gone through."

"Yeah," someone agreed, but no one paid attention to who it was. They all just stared at the door Robin had disappeared behind, wondering a million things about their little bird, none of them likely to ever be answered.

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><p><strong>So there you have it! Please review if you liked it and let me know if you want me to write more. I should say, though, that I'm a huge procrastinator so unless I have some motivation I probably won't be writing a hole lot. Aside from that, I'd love to have a reason to write some more! Thanks so much for reading!<strong>


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